WHY CHAD MATTERS

AS WASHINGTON, Paris - and Moscow - issue increasingly grave warnings about the situation in Chad, Arab capitals remain silent. Few aspects of Middle East and North African affairs strike the Western observer more forcefully than lack of comment on matters which are serious, and urgently require alleviation. Concerning Chad, lack of comment, let alone any proposals for concerted action, enables the super powers and their allies or satellites to continue arbitrating matters which properly belong to Arabs alone.